God Predestined Us Despite Our Family's Sin
- DeNight Owl
- Dec 10, 2024
- 22 min read
Sermon from Oct 14, 2023
During devotion at a church meeting, the focus was on Joseph. Maybe God wanted me to talk about Joseph again. However, something mentioned stood out to me. Someone was reflecting on how we don't take the time to reflect on how Joseph's brothers may have felt or view their story from their perspective. At that moment, the Holy Spirit told me, "There's nothing wrong with writing about the same story, but tell it from the brother's perspective." I was intrigued and up for the challenge. It was true; we always discussed and focused on Joseph and his journey but didn't give the brothers a chance. As I take you through the Brothers' journeys, I pray I open up your understanding and change your perspective to give the Brothers more grace as God did.
Here are the main topics I will cover:
Focus Scripture Text
Genesis 50:15-21 NKJV
15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us but and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."
16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died, he commanded, saying,
17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." 'Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
21 Now, therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Romans 8:28-30 NKJV
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom he called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
As we read in Genesis 50, we have come to the end of Joseph and his brothers' story. Jacob is dead, and Joseph's brothers are scared. Since their father's death, Joseph will not have his revenge on them since we are still in power. They asked for forgiveness, and because of fear, they asked on behalf of their father, but that's for another time. I want to draw your attention to Joseph's response along with the promise of Romans 8:28-30. Joseph says, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day..." Now, the verse doesn't stop there, but I wanted to continue the verse together with Romans 8. So altogether, it reads,
"Do not be AFRAID, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant EVIL AGAINST ME; but God meant IT FOR GOOD, in order to bring it about as it is this day... for we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD to those who love God, to those who are called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. For whom He foreknew, He also PREDESTINED... Moreover, whom He PREDESTINED, these He also CALLED; whom He CALLED, these He also JUSTIFIED; and who He JUSTIFIED, these He also GLORIFIED."
As I read my key text like this, it reminds me that God is the master planner, and no matter what happens, regardless if we fall off God's path, everything will work out for those who love and know him.
Background - Joseph's Journey
According to Genesis 50, everything worked out for Joseph so that he could save many people. Let's do a quick recap of Joseph's journey to remind ourselves of it.
Joseph is the son of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob
Joseph's story starts at 17. He is loved by his father, Jacob, and gifted with a coat of many colors.
Joseph is of age to feed the flocks with his brothers. He becomes his father's ears and ears to report what his brothers do, and they hate him for it.
Joseph dreams of his family bowing down to him, and his brothers hate him even more.
The brothers leave to feed the sheep in Shechem. Jacob sends Joseph to check on them, only to find out they are actually in Dothan.
They see Joseph and plot to torture him and potentially kill him. Instead, they throw him into a pit.
Joseph gets sold to the Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt.
In Egypt, Joseph becomes a slave, accused of sleeping with his master's wife, and is therefore thrown into prison. In prison, he interprets two of the jailer's dreams. Years later, he is remembered and asked to interpret Pharoah's dream. Once he interprets and gives guidance, he is made governor of Egypt.
After 7 years of plenty, the world experiences 7 years of famine.
Joseph's brothers came to Egypt during the famine for food, but Joseph tested their loyalty and character.
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and invites his whole family to live in Egypt.
This brings us to Genesis 50, where the Brothers ask for forgiveness.
From this summary, we see Joseph's journey. Pulling from the main theme from my first sermon, "You can gain insight into your purpose by changing your perspective and strengthening your faith." Joseph could have been completely bitter after how his brothers treated him or even when he was thrown into prison, but he didn't. He continued to believe in God even though it may seem as if Joseph was taking steps backward. Unfortunate as it was, Joseph still proposed in jail and was still in a position for his gift to be recognized, making his way from the jailhouse to the governor of Egypt. Only God can do something like this. Despite Joseph's journey, God still manifested His ultimate plan, putting Joseph in place during the famine to save many lives. However, I can't stop there.
Focus Shift - The Brothers
Let's shift focus from Joseph to the Brothers. With God's help, Joseph physically helped save his brothers and their families. They were mentally and emotionally at ease knowing Joseph was alive and forgave them, but what about their spiritual needs? What did the Brothers really gain from this? Why did all the Brothers make the trip to Egypt? Why did it take 20 years to send a famine? Was a famine really the way to go? The questions are endless, but I believe this. God used Joseph to save many lives and the Brother's lives. Not only did He save the Brothers with physical food but with spiritual food. God created the famine to get Joseph, the Brothers, and their father all in the same place to fulfill His promise to Jacob. God blessed Jacob when he renamed him Israel, saying, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of names shall be of these, and kings shall come out of thy loins." The Brothers needed to be reunited, but not without humility and forgiveness because God predestined this family as His chosen people: the nation of Israelites.
Now, this raises another question that brings me to the meat of this message. We see God's ultimate plan to reunite the family, which I got to at the end, but it makes me wonder. We know how Joseph got to Egypt because the Brothers were jealous, but really, where did it stem from? There has to be some history or trend of influences that the brothers experienced in their lifetime that festered into sinning and wanting to harm one of their own. Let's deeply dive into the Brothers' past and Jacob's sins that also influenced them. The title of my message is God Predestined Us Despite Our Family's Sins. Despite generational trauma, God still predestined us and laid a plan to redeem us.
Reflect on your journey parallel to any negative character traits, decisions you've made, and how you encounter others. Would you conclude that those traits and moments stem from unhealthy relationships or influences around us? Social media and streaming services can influence our thoughts and actions today, but I'll only focus on families. Families have the most significant influence on us, including any hidden traits. It is part of our DNA and our daily influence during childhood. What age or stage of your life would you say you were influenced the most? Were you a child, preteen, teenager, or young adult? Reflect on some of your unhealthy encounters: sibling conflict, who is loved the most, growing up in a single-parent home, conflict between parents, parent conflict with their siblings and parents, family death - the list is endless. I will focus on different areas in which the Brothers were influenced by their family dynamic and affect our families today.
Identity - Our Names and Their Meaning
In ancient times, names were of great importance. They were either a representation of what they were destined to be, a reflection of God's goodness, or a reflection of how the parent was feeling.
Here are a few people whom God named before they were conceived or born in the Bible:
Ishmael - Genesis 16:11
Issac - Genesis 17:19
Solomon - 1 Chronicles 22:9
Josiah - 1 Kings 13:2
John the Baptist - Luke 1:13-17
Jesus - Matt 1:21
Names of those whose names were changed
Abram - Abraham
Sarai - Sarah
Jacob - Israel
BenOni - Benjamin
Saul - Paul
Now, let's look at the names and their meanings of Jacob's children in order from Genesis 29.
LEAH - Genesis 29: 31- 35 NKJV
1. Reuben - "Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love" Genesis 29:32
2. Simeon - "Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son" Genesis 29:33
3. Levi - "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons" Genesis 29:34
4. Judah - "Now will I praise the Lord" Genesis 29:35
Here are Jacob's first four sons with his first wife, Leah. Unfortunately, Jacob ended up with two wives because of Leah and Rachel's father. Jacob loved Rachel more, which we knew, but you can gather by reading the text. Rachel was loved more, but Leah bore Jacob his first four sons. As we read in the text, we don't know much about how Rachel felt, but we know the meaning or intention Leah gave regarding her son's names.
Next, we have Bilhah's children. Bilhah was Rachel's handmaid, but she gave Bilhah unto Jacob to conceive a child for her because she was unable.
BILHAH - Rachel's Children - Genesis 30: 1-8
5. Dan - "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son" Genesis 30:6
6. Naphtali - "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed" Genesis 30:8
Customs were very different during ancient times. I pray I get to question God one day about them because I don't understand how a maidservant can lay with one's husband. Not only is that child considered or allowed to be considered the wife's children, but she can also name them.
After Bilhah has her children, Leah takes the same course as Rachel. Leah gives her maidservant, Zilpah, to Jacob, and she had 2 boys as well
ZILPAH - Leah's Children - Genesis 30: 9-13
7. Gad - "A troop cometh" Genesis 30:11
8. Asher - "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed" Genesis 30:13
After Asher is born, the text continues with a conversation between Leah and Rachel.
14. Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
15. But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
16. When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.
LEAH - Genesis 30:18-21
9. Issachar - "God hath given me my hire because I given my maiden to my husband" Genesis 30:18
10. Zebulun - "God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me because I have born him six sons" Genesis 30:20
11. Dinah - Genesis 30:21
Lastly, Rachel finally gives birth to Jacob's last two sons
RACHEL - Genesis 30:22-24 and Gen 35:18
11. Joseph - "God hath taken away my reproach...the Lord shall add to me another son" Genesis 30:24
12. Benjamin - "Son of the right hand" Genesis 35:18
The Brothers' names were not bad. However, they still reflected how each sister was treated, whether their husband loved them enough or blessed them more than the other. This hatred for one another, especially Rachel against Leah, was one great influence that shadowed the Brothers' lives as they got older. This influence didn't fully form until the boys were older, but I believe some of it was instilled in them in their mother's womb. We have to be careful how mothers act and what and who she allows around her when she is pregnant. Babies in the womb may not be able to talk or think for themselves, but they can hear and feel the emotions the mother is feeling, which can be very unstable. Therefore, this lesson is twofold. First, we have to be careful what we name our children. We are reminded in Jeremiah 1 that God has ordained and predestined us before we were born, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." (Jer 1:5). Second, what we say about and to our children matters. Whether negative or positive, it will affect them in some way. In the bible, blessings, birthrights, and even curses were spoken over many lives, and they all came to pass.
Family Discord
The Brothers Witnessing Jacob's Marital Relationships
The Brothers were indirectly influenced by their names but affected by family discord. We start with Reuben. While his brothers are conceived, Reuben, the oldest, is asked to bring his mom, Leah, some mandrakes, Genesis 30:14-16. At this point, Reuben is mentioned after 7 of his siblings were born, so he could have been between 7-9 years old. Given the situation, I am sure Reuben overheard Rachel asking his mother for the mandrakes he got her. Whether Reuben understood its meaning, he probably saw what it did to his mother, Leah, and Rachel, and neither was happy. In addition, Reuben was the oldest, so we can infer that Jacob's first four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, saw the number of women his father was around. They noticed his number of kids and how they probably didn't look like them or had different mothers. Therefore, the Brothers had a very unhealthy understanding of their family household and what it should be. Regardless of their age, they were still affected.
Jacob and Laban - Father-In-Law Relationship
In Genesis 30:25, we have Jacob and Laban, a father-in-law relationship. Joseph is now born. Therefore, Jacob wishes to leave Laban's house so that his family can have their own place. From Gen 30:25 to the end of Chapter 31, Jacob deceives Laban. He tried to make up for Laban's deception of him, especially when he tried to marry Rachel. Jacob learns Laban's plan in the text and creates his plan. Jacob decides to mess with Laban's flock and leave him with poor, weak animals. When the time came, Jacob gathered his family, obtained healthy versions of Laban's flock, and fled without Laban knowing. At the same time, Rachel steals her father's gods. When Laban finds out what took plan with his gods and his flock, he retaliates and goes after Jacob. Trying to find Jacob, Laban is visited by God and bis him no longer to speak or do anything harmful towards Jacob. As a result, Jacob and Laban create a covenant with each other.
Jacob and Esau - Twin Brother Relationship
Jacob and Esau's discord predates the birth of his sons but the Brothers witnessed the discord years later after Issac, Jacob and Esau's father had died. Since the Brothers weren't born yet and didn't know what happened between Jacob and his brother, but they saw something was off now. In Genesis 33, the Brothers witnessed Jacob making up with Esau but before that they witnessed how uneasy Jacob got when he noticed his brother in the distance.
Genesis 33:1 and 2 tell us Jacob sees Esau coming with four hundred men. Jacob gets scared and divides his children up by their mother. Then he puts the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Jacob's kids were still young, but how he organized them shows Jacob's heart. He places his middle children in front with their mothers, the maidservants. Then you have the four eldest boys of Jacob and Leah's two youngest, with Dinah next. Last but not least, you have Rachel and Joseph. Even when Esau asked Jacob who was with him, he presented them as such, least to greatest, in fear that Esau would take a part of his family. This may be a small, irrelevant part, but it shows his family hierarchy, which he values the most.
Here, we viewed the family discord that affected the Brothers in their younger and preteen years. Now, let's fast-forward to the Brothers as young adults between 14 and their last 20s. We see the results of their earlier years and how they translated into their adult years.
Family Discord - Results
In chapter 34, Jacob and his family bought land from Hamor in the city of Shechem. Jacob moved from Laban's house to Succoth after he made peace with Esau. Then they moved to Shechem, which is located in Canaan. This next event really messed up the trust and dynamic of the family.
While living outside of the city of Shechem, Dinah is raped by Hamor's son, Shechem. When Jacob and his sons learn of what happened, they become angry. Jacob is angry, but he holds his peace until his sons come, which I will get back to. Now Hamor arrives and tries to reason with Jacob, father to father, to give Dinah in marriage to Shechem. However, the Brothers set in and verbally denounce their hatred and distaste for what had befallen their sister. Now we started to see the sins of their father and grandfather repeated but in a different manner.
Genesis 34:11-15 KJV
11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, 'Let me find favor in your eyes and whatever you say to me I will give.
12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.'
13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
14 And they said to them, 'We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us.
15 But on this condition, we will consent to you. If you will became as we are, if every male of your is circumcised.
Now Hamor and Shechem accepted the idea of circumcisions and got the rest of the men in the city as well, but the pot thickened.
25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.
26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled.
28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field,
29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.
30 Then Jacob to Simeon and Levi, 'You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.'
31 But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a harlot?"
Back in verse 13 it said,
13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully.
Deceitfully is the key word, now whether Jacob agreed with the circumcision or not, he still didn't know the hearts of his son. In verse 25, we realize that the Brothers suggestion of circumcision for all the men of the city wasn't to join family with them but part of their grand plan. They waited until the third day after being in pain to attack them when they were weakest. Therefore, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brother killed all the males of the city.
For the Brother's first course of action, we see the true hearts of Simeon and Levi. They were Jacob's second and third sons, after Reuben. They took it upon themselves to be deceitful and commit murder. We don't know if these brothers acted alone but they were the ring leaders.
The second recorded sinful act of the Brothers is in chapter 35. Jacob and his family are in route to another location, Rachel goes into labor but dies after giving birth to Benjamin. Rachel is buried on the way to Ephrath also known as Bethlehem. After Rachel is buried, we can conclude from the text that Jacob journeyed on his own beyond the tower of Eder to mourn Rachel. Meanwhile, Jacob was away for the family camp, we don't know how long he was gone but Reuben ends up lying with Bilhah. Bilhah was Jacob's concubine and Rachel's maidservant. They the Bible tells us that Jacob finds out and that is all we know on the subject. We don't know if Jacob confronts Reuben. Maybe Jacob was too grieved in his spirit after Rachel's death to deal with it but here is another situation where Jacob doesn't outright speak up regarding sin. At this point, Jacob is really old, and his spirit is grieved, seeing his previous sins manifest in his sons. We will get back to Reuben's actions soon because everything will come full circle in the end.
The last sinful act of the Brothers brings us to Genesis 37. We are now at Joseph's story, who is 17 now.
Genesis 37:2
2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.
The Bible doesn't tell us much, but we can draw inferences from what is written. This is the first time the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah are mentioned doing anything. Joseph is with them but those Brothers were up to no good Joseph reports back to Jacob. Here is a list of the Brothers that lost Jacob's respect:
Simeon and Levi - the massacre of the Shechemites
Reuben - Sleeping with Bilhah
Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher - Not trusted with their father's flock.
I love watching movies on different bible characters to help me put the stories into perspective. I hope to understand and try to imagine some in-between events that we don't get directly from the bible. I prepared for this message and watched one of my favorite movies, the 1995 Joseph File. As I watched, I focused on how the Brothers acted instead of focusing only on Joseph's behavior. Even though the movie is not always accurate to the bible, there was a profound scene that opened my understanding to read the story differently.
In the scene, Jacob confronts Reuben about sleeping with Bilhah, and he talks with Leah about her son. Leah tries to make Jacob see the reason, but he is too furious, demanding that things change. In the next scene, the sons were gathered around with the flock and Jacob gives them instructions. Then he tells his sons, that Joseph will be in charge. Now Reuben is furious as well. Reuben confronts his father that he is the oldest. However, Jacob's tells Reuben that he hasn't shown him any respect for sleeping with one of his wives. Then Jacob mentions Simeon and Levi's actions and mentions honor. "If honor is received, it is also given."
After this scene, something clicked and I started rereading what the Bible said, keeping in mind what I saw in the movie. In the bible there was a gap in the story regarding Jacob and his household. After the bible talks about Reuben and Bilhah and Jacob finding out, it ends and jumps to the list of all Jacob's sons, the death of Issac and then the genealogy of Esau. Next, Joseph pops up on the scene and he is 17 years old now. Now due to the events of the Bible and what I saw in the movie, I concluded that Reuben lost his birthright as the firstborn. As I was reading, a text I read started to make more sense. Genesis 49:3-4. Jacob says, "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it - He up to my couch." When I first read this text, it didn't make any sense to me. I didn't know Reuben had slept with Bilhah but it was starting to come together.
With everything I learned in mind, I started looking at Joseph's position differently. I first thought Jacob started treating Joseph differently when he came of age because he was the firstborn son of Rachel, the one whom he loved the most. However, now I realize it was because of Joseph's demeanor. Jacob has been time and time again disappointed by the Brothers' behavior that he was looking for the next son with whom he could trust to lead after him. The next in line was Judah by age, but after seeing his first three sons, he probably didn't want to take the change. In addition, Reuben was the firstborn of Leah, but Joseph was also the firstborn of Rachel. The firstborn naturally gets the birthright, but things are different now. Maybe Jacob told Joseph he wanted a report about his brothers because he couldn't trust them. Jacob respects Joseph and is still greatly disappointed with his sons, so he probably gets carried away. He makes a coat for Joseph to show his appreciation. Next, Joseph starts to dream, and we can probably conclude that Jacob has filled his head because he starts to dream about having authority over his brothers.
Continuing in Genesis 37, the Brothers go off to feed the flock. Jacob asks Joseph to check on his Brothers. The Brothers see him and plot to kill him but end up throwing him into a pit and selling him to the Midianites. Even in this situation, you can still see the roles that the Brothers played in this plan. The Brothers went to Shechem to feed the flock. Jacob sends Joseph there to check on them, but as Joseph is on his way to find his Brothers, they leave and head to Dothan. Doesn't Shechem sound familiar? Shechem was in the exact location; Simeon and Levi killed all the city's men. Knowing the Brothers were going to Shechem, Jacob had Joseph follow them there to keep an eye on them. As Joseph looks for them, he discovers his Brothers are in Dothan. The Brothers see Joseph and plot to kill him. The Bible doesn't say who came up with the idea. Regardless, thank God for Reuben. Reuben suggested throwing Joseph in the pit, sparing his life but also with the plan to save him afterward. As the Brothers sat down for supper, they saw a caravan of Midianities. Judah decides to sell Joseph to the Midianites. After they handed Joseph to them, upon Reuben's return, he notices that Joseph is gone, and he rents his clothes.
Conclusion
This is the end of the record of the mischievous ways of the Brothers written in the Bible. After all the details, verse by verse, of the influences and effects that Jacob and his family had on the character and actions of his sons, let's tie it together and see how God steps in.
God used Joseph as his instrument. First, God provided and elevated Joseph into a position where He could use him to save many people. As I alluded in the beginning, God doesn't only use Joseph to save the people and provide food for his Brothers. God uses Joseph to bring his Brothers back into God's will, restoring their brother relationship and reuniting Joseph with their father and the entire family. God used the famine to bring together the Brothers and their whole family. "God blessed Jacob when he renamed him saying, 'I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of names shall be of thee and kings shall come out of thy loins'." The Brothers needed to be reunited but not without humility and forgiveness because God predestined this family to be his chosen people; the nation of the Israelites.
Earlier, I thought God creating a famine to reunite the Brothers with Joseph was a bit extreme. However, I questioned God's actions through human eyes, not God's. I am reminded that His timing is not ours, and God is always on time. When you look at the timing from when Joseph was sold to when Joseph was released from prison and made governor, 13 years had passed. Joseph was 30. We don't know how long Joseph was in jail, but we do know that after he interpreted the dreams for the baker and the cupbearer, Joseph was in jail for 2 years. We don't know the timelines match up with whatever the Brothers were dealing with, but I'm sure they had 13 years to dwell on the wrong they did Joseph. The Brothers were reminded they sold Joseph, and they lied to their father that he was killed. They had to deal with the questions of wondering what happened after all those years and whether their brother was alive.
Even Joseph's spirit was tested, and the act of forgiveness for the reunion with his Brothers was successful. This reminded me of a sermon Pastor Mazibuko preached. He said, "If there is a Jonah in the family, God will shake everyone around them to find Jonah," or in this case, Jonah's in the midst just as God shook everyone on the boat to get Jonah's attention. Whatever the Brothers dealt with during that time, God believed they were ready to be reconnected with their brother and for God Himself to fulfill the plan He predestined for them. In the end, on Jacob's deathbed, you can read the blessings of the Brothers in Genesis 49. All of Jacob's sons were together, and all the tribes as they are today. God, in His perfect wisdom, made sure the number 12 remained the same, which means perfection or authority according to God.
God has predestined each of us. In this context, no matter our family challenges or how life changes us, if we believe in God, he will direct our paths. In His infinite timing and wisdom, He will manifest His plan for our lives if we choose.
Let us be reminded in Romans 8:28-30:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
This reminds me of an Instagram video that perfectly fits my theme and key text.
“One of the most powerful scriptures in all the bible in his opinion is Romans 8:29, where God says that he predestined us. Pre meaning Before. Destined meaning end. Meaning that he ended us before he started us. In other words he knew your ending when he started you. And that just means that God planned out or planned around everything that would happen to you. So no season of your life is it. No moment of your life should be taken for granted. God uses it all to get you to the end He had in mind. An that end is good. No matter what the middle looks like. The end is good. And I think that, that give us the peace we need to continue on our journey and to not stop because we think that we missed a step or none of it matters anymore.Everything matters. The divorce you went through matters. The people that left you matters. The bankruptcy matters. The homelessness, the foreclosure, the lying, the manipulation, the stabbing in your back. All of it matters. And all of it is intended to get you to where he has planned for you to be. Choose to see him as good and choose to see the ending as good. He knew it when he started you.” ~ Pastor Norris Johnson
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